Feldman Tosses 3-Hitter, Cubs Top Padres 6-2
CHICAGO (AP) — Scott Feldman retired 18 straight on his way to his first career complete game and the Chicago Cubs took advantage of former No. 1 pick Andrew Cashner's wildness in a 6-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night.
Feldman (2-3) earned his second straight win, allowing two runs and three hits while walking one. After Chase Headley singled with two outs in the first, Feldman retired the next 18 batters and didn't allow another Padres baserunner until Carlos Quentin reached on an error by third baseman Luis Valbuena.
Feldman struck out the side in the third and fourth innings, ending up with 12 strikeouts to set a career high. He also had an RBI double in the second to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead.
The Cubs starter, who signed a one-year contract in November, has given up three runs in his last 15 2-3 innings for Chicago, which got its 16th quality start of the season.
Jedd Gyorko homered to lead off the eighth and end Feldman's shutout bid. Feldman's first walk came to John Baker with one out in the inning. Headley then had a solo home run in the ninth.
Cashner (1-2), making his first start against the team that made him its No. 1 pick in 2008, lasted four innings and gave up five runs, four earned, six hits, one hit batter and four walks, along with a wild pitch. He was dealt to San Diego in January 2012 for Anthony Rizzo, who was 1 for 4.
The San Diego right-hander, who was victorious in his previous start April 26 against San Francisco, had trouble from the beginning and gave up runs in Chicago's first four innings.
The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the first on Starlin Castro's RBI single that drove in Julio Borbon. Cashner eventually loaded the bases on a walk to Nate Schierholtz, but got out of the jam when he tagged Rizzo out at home after a pitch got to the backstop.
Chicago doubled its lead in the second when Darwin Barney scored on Feldman's double to right. It was Feldman's first hit in nine at-bats with the Cubs and his second career RBI. Cashner ended the second by getting Borbon to pop out to third and Valbuena to right.
The Cubs added two more runs in the third when Rizzo and Castro scored on Dioner Navarro's two-run double off the wall in right-center. Cashner then hit Darwin Barney, but got out of the inning after Feldman's sacrifice and David DeJesus' grounder to short.
Valbuena's groundout to short in the fourth drove in Borbon to give Chicago a 5-0 lead. Borbon led off with a walk and sped to third after Cashner's pickoff attempt at first was errant, leading to the unearned run.
Chicago added to its lead in the seventh when Schierholtz doubled to left to score Castro. The Cubs' shortstop appeared to be limping after he scored but stayed in the game.
DeJesus and Castro had two hits apiece, while Borbon and Castro scored twice.
San Diego's Yonder Alonso went 0 for 4, ending his eight-game streak of reaching base. Everth Cabrera struck out three times.
NOTES: Cubs LF Alfonso Soriano was given the night off. He played in the Cubs' first 26 games, hitting .263 with one home run and two runs driven in. . Padres pitcher Tyson Ross worked 1 2-3 innings of relief Tuesday night in a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tuscon, allowing three hits, three runs and two walks while striking out two and throwing 43 pitches. Ross has been on the disabled list since April 20, retroactive to April 18, with a subluxation in his left, non-throwing shoulder. . Cubs pitcher Matt Garza threw 2 2-3 innings Wednesday in a rehab assignment with Double-A Tennessee, allowing one hit and two walks on 42 pitches. Garza hasn't pitched for the Cubs yet this season after suffering a strained left lateral muscle during spring training. . Thursday's pitching matchup is San Diego's Eric Stults (2-2, 5.67) against Chicago's Travis Wood (2-1, 2.25).
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